Fuse Board Upgrades in Edinburgh

The consumer unit is where your electricity supply is divided into individual circuits—lighting, sockets, cooker, shower, and so on. Each circuit is protected by a device that cuts the power if something goes wrong, preventing damage or injury.

Older properties often have fuse boards that predate modern safety standards. These may use rewirable fuses, which offer limited protection and require manual replacement when they blow. They typically lack RCD protection, which guards against electric shock by detecting current leaking to earth—a potentially life-saving feature.

A modern consumer unit uses MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers) or RCBOs (Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent protection) instead of fuses. These trip automatically when a fault occurs and can simply be reset once the problem is resolved. RCBOs provide the highest level of protection, combining overcurrent and earth fault protection on each individual circuit.

Edinburgh's housing stock includes many properties with original or early replacement consumer units. Victorian and Edwardian tenement flats, Georgian townhouses, and post-war semis may all have electrical installations that predate current safety standards.

In tenement flats, the consumer unit is typically located just inside the front door, with the electricity meter in a shared cupboard on the stairwell. Upgrading the consumer unit is straightforward—the work takes place entirely within your flat, and we coordinate any meter-related requirements with your energy supplier if necessary.

We frequently see Edinburgh properties with consumer units from the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s that are still functional but lack the protection features now considered essential. Even relatively recent installations may benefit from upgrading to an RCBO board, particularly if you want individual circuit protection or are adding new circuits.

Common scenarios where Edinburgh homeowners and landlords request upgrades include preparing properties for rental (to meet safety obligations), following an unsatisfactory EICR, or as part of kitchen or bathroom renovations where new circuits are being added.

Replacing a consumer unit is classified as notifiable work under Scottish Building Regulations. This means the work must be carried out to the current edition of BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations), properly tested, and certified.

The 18th Edition of BS 7671 introduced requirements for consumer units in domestic premises to be enclosed in a non-combustible material—typically a metal enclosure. This provides additional fire protection and is now standard for all new installations.

Upon completion, you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) documenting the work and test results. The installation is registered with the relevant building control body, providing official confirmation that the work complies with regulations. These documents are important for insurance purposes and future property transactions.